The potential for solar power has been estimated for most parts of the country at around 30-50 MW per square kilometer
of open, shadow free area covered with solar panels/collectors. The government is providing several fi nancial and fi scal
incentives to promote setting up of solar and wind power projects throughout the country, including the hill States.

With so much happening in the field
of solar sector, India seems to
double its solar power generation
capacities till 2015 and will witness a huge
development in the sector. By 2017, India is
expecting to eightfold its solar capacity - a
dream that seems to be attainable as both
private and public sector in the country are
making big efforts to promote renewable
energy all around. Government, continuing
its National Solar Mission, is likely to tender
more than 750 megawatts of capacity in the
first week of May, 2013.

Bids for Solar Project in AP, Karnataka
and Tamil Nadu
Recently, Andhra Pradesh had invited bids
or the purchase of electricity generated
by solar plants of 1,000 MW and about
294 bids were submitted by more than 180 companies. Alpha InfraProp Private
Ltd, which is already setting up a 4x660 MW
super-critical, coal-based power plant in
Komarada in Srikakulam district, emerged as
the biggest bidder (80 MW solar power) along
with State are Surya Green Power (50 MW),
Azure Green (30 MW), Pennar Industries
(10 MW), Surana Ventures and Photon
Energy (5 MW), as per official information.
SunBorne Energy has also bid for setting
up solar plants totaling 20 MW in Andhra
Pradesh. Gagan Vermani, Executive Director
and Chief Operating Officer (PV business
head), SunBorne Energy had said that the
company was planning to invest about Rs 180
for 20 MW solar facility in the state.

Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka
are actively engaged in looking out for
possibilities to increase solar capacities in their respective states. Karnataka had also
invited tenders for 1,000 MW. While Andhra
PradeshĘs solar tender oversubscribed by
34 per cent, Tamil Nadu could not event fill
half of the tender capacity 1 gigawatt - one
of the biggest in the country.

Ministry for New and Renewable Energy
is also planning to build a solar city in the
country. The ministry has already allocated
a sum of ` 16.25 crore to UT administration
for implementation of Model Solar City
Programme in Chandigarh. The plan
envisages building a 25 Mega Watts solar
Photo Voltaic (PV) plant.

Largest Project in India
Welspun Energy Limited has also
commissioned IndiaĘs largest 50 MW
(AC) Solar PV Project in Rajasthan. The
company claims that the project is ahead
of schedule and below the budgeted cost.

This solar project will power 25 million homes
by generating 90 million kWh electricity
and about 83,220 million tonnes of carbon
emissions will be mitigated every year.

EL had commissioned part 15 MW capacity
earlier this year, and the balance 35 MW
capacity additions have been achieved
recently; thereby meeting its commitment
of generating clean energy for fueling
RajasthanĘs growth. Within three days of
commissioning, the 15 MW capacity is
generating a high DC PLF per cent of 22.6
per cent in the stabilisation period. WEL had
won this 50 MW solar project in a competitive
bid under Batch-2, Phase-1 of the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission. WEL was
the only company to have been awarded
a maximum capacity of 50 MW under this
scheme, making this the largest project
in India.

Floating Solar PV
New concept like Floating Solar PV is the
latest buzz. Recently, Ciel et Terre (France)
& Klystron Electronics (Kolkata) have a
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to set up floating solar plants in the
northern region of the country. The deal
was facilitated by the European Business
and Technology Centre (EBTC).

Ciel et Terre and Klystrone Electronics will be
jointly evaluating and tapping the immense
opportunities to co-develop floating solar PV project. Suman Lahiri (Regional Manger
EBTC, said that this partnership will help
implement the technology, not only in West
Bengal, but across the water-rich regions.
This is just one of the many initiatives that
EBTC is taking in the region.

Floating solar PV is a unique solution to
address the combined issue of energy,
water conservation and land availability.
The Hydrelio system patented by Ciel &
Terre is a reliable and eco-friendly way to
save valuable land and convert a water
area into a profitable large scale solar
power plant (from 1 to 50 MW), EBTC said
in a statement.

Upstream Chemicals and Materials
Markets to Grow
According to Frost and SullivanĘs latest
report, the implementation of the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by
the Government of India (GoI) is driving
growth in the solar industry, specifically,
the manufacturing of cells and modules.
This will drive growth in related upstream
chemicals and materials markets.

"With high peak power deficit, erratic crude
oil prices, coal shortages and uncertainty of
nuclear power, renewable energy sources
such as solar power will be the future
of sustainable power generation," noted
Frost & Sullivan Analyst. "New opportunities
to explore in the market for chemicals and
materials used in solar cells and modules
are presented with the JNNSM mandating
indigenisation of solar cells and modules."

JNNSM aims to develop 20,000 MW of
grid-connected solar power by 2022.
Additionally, plans to promote India as a
manufacturing hub for solar products with
mandatory indigenisation of solar cells and
modules are being implemented.

The scheme offers new opportunities to
invest in the market for chemicals and
materials used in the manufacture of solar
products in India. The demand for chemicals
and materials used in solar cells and
modules is estimated to grow at a CAGR of
22.2 per cent till 2015, with the growth for
module components estimated at over
25 per cent CAGR for the same time period.

Minister for New and Renewable Energy,
Dr Farooq Abdullah has recently revealed
that following the launch of the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission, (JNNSM) in
2010 the domestic manufacturing capacity
of SPV cells and modules has increased
from about 200 MW to 2000 MW.

"One of the important objectives of the
JNNSM is to promote domestic manufacturing
in solar energy sector and certain domestic
content requirements were made mandatory
in various schemes of JNNSM Phase-I.
The Government has also extended the
benefits of excise duty exemption on finished
products and of concessional customs duty
on raw materials and equipment required
for manufacturing, to encourage domestic
industry." He added.